Personal Journeys: Crystal

Dear Readers,In our new series of intimate reports and amazing stories from participants in Michelle’s programs, we get to experience the personal aspirations, struggles, insights and successes of Michelle’s clients. Thank you to those who have provided a window into their lives to inspire others.My name is Crystal.

After spending the better part of my life as an overweight person I wanted to get healthy and get my life back. I didn’t want to get any further into my life without living it!

Everything I wanted to do was held to ransom: “I’ll do that when I’m fitter/smaller/thinner/stronger” which of course meant that I was never going to do it. I also didn’t want to leave it so long that I developed health issue because of my weight.

Eventually my business failed which forced me to take action. I am a qualified Personal Trainer but no matter how much knowledge or experience I gained or qualifications I acquired, I still felt that potential clients still judged me on my appearance. Who wants to be told how to get fit and healthy by someone who cannot manage their own health and fitness?

My lack of belief in myself because of my weight killed my business and I had to stop doing something I love because I was no longer able to support myself. I also watched my mother have a bilateral knee replacement in her mid-fifties. This terrified me as I know that her being overweight for years contributed to her knees wearing out an once the damage is done there is no way to undo it.

Had I tried to address this issue in the past? Yes all my life. I was always looking for a quick fix and always punishing myself. I used to be fantastic at doing meal replacement diets and running on treadmills until I wanted to faint. This was my punishment for being fat. I managed to lose over 30 kilos once, and I was still unhappy and it all piled back on because at the end of the day there were a few major issues with my approach to weight loss.

I believed that if I was thin I’d be happy, this turned out to be very, very untrue.

I believed exercise was my punishment

I wanted to be “thin” instead of “healthy” and

Food was the enemy

I never really had any resistance to Michelle’s approach. I understood what Michelle was about and that is why I went to her. I researched Michelle thoroughly before approaching her for a program and from the very first day I contacted her I trusted her. I ended up choosing the 12-Week Custom Total Body Transformation program.

Initially my biggest worry about going with Michelle was financial but can you really put a price on living a long, happy and healthy life? I needed to make my health a priority and financially it became a priority and it has been and will continue to be worth every cent!

The aspect of the program that was most appealing was the food! I no longer see food as the enemy but rather as an incredibly important part of fuelling and nourishing my body and on Michelle’s plans I get to eat LOTS. The guilt I associated with eating for as long as I remember is now a distant memory as I have a better understanding of the role of the right food in improving my health. I also love the focus on weight training, I am a strong and athletic girl… I just never knew it before I found Michelle!

What led me to make the decision in the end was that I was desperate and after talking to Michelle I knew this would be the right move for me. I had tried everything and was still miserable and dangerously overweight.

I have the most loving and supportive partner in the world but I was starting to stop him living his life because I never wanted to do anything but stay in the house for fear that someone would see me. I didn’t want to live that way anymore, I am still young and I wanted to have an active life full of adventure but I had stopped doing all the things I loved.

The greatest challenge was the gym. The gym and it’s mirrors. I remember that first week at the gym on my very first plan so vividly. My plan started on a Monday and it took me until Friday to get to the gym. This was because all I had ever done in a gym was run on a treadmill, lifting weights was something I was interested in but I thought I would be unwelcome or make a fool of myself.

Once I got going I started to really love it, I made friends at the gym and they had so much respect for what I was doing which helped me overcome this challenge. Instead of hating the mirrors I embraced being able to see where I had started, the changes that showed where I was heading and I could now see where I wanted to be.

I also found it very hard to stop letting my emotions dictate my eating. I like to binge when times get tough even though I know better. I still fall off the wagon but the Nazafit team always knows what to say to get me back on track.

A defining moment for me was after my first program I completed the Stair Run for MS which was a huge achievement for me! To be honest every week that I complete, every new goal reached in the gym and every kilo gone is a defining moment.

From the beginning I had a lot of breakthroughs, mostly in getting to know myself better. I am starting to understand my triggers a little better and what I can do to manage the side of me that uses food as a comfort and a drug. I continue to have them everyday as this was never going to be a short journey so I am hopefully going to have a lot of moments.

I have amazing wow moments in the gym. I love the feeling of achievement when I lift and when I achieve a new goal in the gym.

I also love the moments when I am out at a restaurant and surrounded by bad choices but I make the right one and see it through, it makes me feel strong knowing I am not as easily tempted as I used to be as that this journey is more important than getting the small amount of gratification from eating something bad.

I hated myself, so learning to love myself as I am and as I will be has become a big part of what I want to achieve. Physically I am stronger than I have ever been and I can confidently say that I am happier with this body, which is still overweight but starting to gain shape from lifting weights, than I ever was with the skinny flabby me achieved from starving myself.

The program also taught me a lot about how I do or don’t deal with things, I am an emotional eater through and through and as I mentioned, I still fall off the wagon from time to time but I find it much easier to get back on because I aconfident that I know how to do what I need to do to get where I want to be

I used to really hate people noticing my body, whether it be a positive comment or a negative comment I used to rather people just not comment. In fact I hated the positive comments the most! But now I have chosen to take on board the kind words and encouragement others offer to me and they are all very supportive and proud and I often find them coming to me to find out about certain foods or exercises as they know that I am practising what I preach. I will happily show my progress pics to friends and family, which is something I would never have done in the past!

Too many people are getting fooled by fad diets and are stuck on the endless weight loss merry-go-round and I know how it feels because I suffered for years at the hands of people who had no idea what they were doing!

My schedule has not changed, it is still stupidly full! What really works for me are the smoothies for morning snack. I find pre-prepping them easy as I freeze them and I just put them next to my desk in the morning and sip away. I really loved the green juice that was on my first plan. The breakfast and lunches have all been great and easy to prep and eat at work.

Michelle actually knows what you need, she listens to you and makes a program just for you where you get to eat foods you like (and plenty of it!) and challenge yourself in the gym.

There is no guilt trip or disapproval if you have a bad day or even a bad week, only understanding and guidance to help you get back on track.

I am so grateful that I met Michelle and Jeh. I don’t always do what I am meant to do but they have never given up on me. I’m not giving up, I am going to keep going until I am at a healthy weight and back doing all the things I love to do! I would say to someone who was thinking about taking a program with Michelle that it’s the best decision you will ever make.

Crystal

For more information about how YOU can make a difference in your life, please contact Michelle here: Contact